Family Forces Teen to Turn Himself In After NW Indiana Convenience Store Robbed

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A Gary, Ind. teen is in custody for the armed robbery of a northwest Indiana convenience store last weekend, the Post-Tribune is reporting.

Police arrested the 17-year-old Thursday after family members brought him to the Portage Police Department to turn himself in after surveillance photos were released to local media outlets, according to Sgt. Larry LaFlower, public information officer with the Porter County Sheriff’s Department.

During the robbery, which occurred at 11:30 p.m. March 29 at Family Express, 363 W. U.S. 6 in South Haven, the teen allegedly displayed a handgun to the clerk before fleeing on foot with an undetermined amount of money and a couple cartons of cigarettes, police said. No one was injured during the robbery.

The teen is being held at the Juvenile Detention Center on a charge of armed robbery. A waiver hearing could take place next week to try to move the charge to adult court, LaFlower said.

“The public’s help after viewing the surveillance photos was instrumental in solving this case,” he said. The sheriff’s department released the photos Thursday.